The Rift
by chloewren
Summary: Ranger and Steph have a big confrontation and now there is a rift between them. The Merry Men aren't sure what is going on. Or what they can do to help. Told from multiple POVs, since I like doing that.
1. Chapter 1

I am on vacation and so iI have free time. This popped into my head. Hope you enjoy.-chloewren

Steph's POV

I ran out of Ranger's office, taking deep breaths to try to hold back the tears. _Don't you dare cry,_ _Don't you dare cry_, I told myself. At least until I get to the car. As soon as I opened the door from his office, all the guys in the control room were staring at me. The room was as quiet as a tomb. No one said anything; they just stared at me, while trying to pretend that they weren't. I made for the elevator as fast as I could, eyes on the floor, looking at no one. " Gotta go, guys," I managed to croak out in what I hoped was a normal tone of voice. The fucking elevator was taking forever. Geezus. Goddamn elevator. The elevator door closed behind me and I kept taking deep breaths. _Ok, almost there Steph. Just don't cry. They can see you_. I tried to look normal as I knew the elevator and garage at Rangeman had cameras. Finally, I got to the garage and threw my car door open. I needed to get the hell out of here. Now. I fumbled with the keys, trying to get them into the ignition. Thank God it was my car and not one of his. He couldn't track me. I started the engine and backed out of the garage. I put the car in drive and the tires squealed as I slammed on the gas; speeding away from Ranger.

Tank's POV

The door to Ranger's office opened and Steph appeared in the doorway. We all knew about Ranger and Steph's history and we could only guess about the argument that had just occurred. Steph appeared in the doorway and Lester, Bobby, Hal, Ram, and I could do nothing but stare. It was awkward. Step looked terrible. She was trying to look normal but she was shaking and her eyes were red and brimming with tears that she'd rather die than spill in front of us. She looked very uncomfortable and took exaggeratingly deep breaths, probably trying not to cry. Shit. I hated it when she cried.

She fumbled in her bag for her keys. None of us spoke, and she didn't look at any of us. She looked like she wanted to get the hell out of here so she could cry. I met Lester, Bobby, and

Hal 's eyes. None of us had ever seen her so visibly upset. She made a beeline for the elevator, looking at the floor. She said, Gotta go, guys, in a shaky voice. She tapped her foot in impatience blinking hard and trying not to let the tears spill. We were all shocked. Ranger and Steph have a turbulent history; but he'd never hurt her- not physically. Who knew what had happened. But Steph was in bad shape.

None of us said anything as we watched her in the elevator. She wouldn't look up and was taking very deep breaths, obviously trying to calm herself. Her mouth was beginning to tremble in the effort to hold back tears, knowing she was on camera. She reached the garage and fumbled a minute with her keys in the ignition. She had lost the battle with the tears and they were streaming down her face. She wasn't really in good shape to be driving. She backed out of the garage and then the tires squealed as she sped away.

Bobby, ever the concerned medic, snapped out of his reverie. Damn. She's really upset . Probably not safe for her to be driving. Might want to follow her and make sure she gets home ok. I nodded and directed him to follow her. I knew she was upset and women crying and driving was never a good combination. People who are upset get in accidents or do stupid things. I didn't know what the hell happened in Ranger's office but I knew he loved her and wouldn't want her in an accident because she was upset. Fuck! What the hell had just happened.

Bobby's POV

Steph had several minutes head start on me and if it weren't for the tracker in her purse, I wouldn't have been able to catch up with her. She wasn't driving a Rangeman vehicle, so there was no tracking device on the car. She was so upset that she probably forgot about the one in her purse. The bleeping of the GPS let me know that I was right behind her .Shit. She was driving adown the 206 at about 90 MPH. This late at night there was very little traffic. I knew she saw me behind her because she changed lanes erratically and sped up. Ok, I backed off a bit. She was very upset and obviously didn't want to be caught. I had no idea what the hell was going on but if Steph went around driving this erratically , she was going to get arrested- or worse.

She was going about 90 MPH and I was two cars lengths behind her, not wanting to spook her. In the meantime, I was in contact with Rangeman on the radio. Maybe I could convince her to slow down or pull over and talk to me. Since I wasn't Ranger, and she seemed to like me, maybe she would. But she knew I 'd have to tell Ranger all about it, so maybe she wouldn't. There was so little traffic that I could actually see the light on her phone go on as it rang. She didn't answer, though. She passed the exit for her apartment, then the one for her parents', then Lula's, and finally, the one for Morelli's. Shit. Those were the place I thought it most likely she would go. Where the hell was she going?

Hal's POV

What the fuck had just happened? Ranger and Steph have had a lot of disagreements but never anything like this. This was fucking bad. And it was probably Ranger's fault. He could be unreasonable sometimes regarding Steph. They were both so damn stubborn. Bobby just ran down the stairs and got into an Explorer to trail Steph. I looked at the tracking monitor. Shit. She was doing like 90 mph. And in the state she was in? I watched the Bobby blip chase and almost catch the Steph blip.

I looked at Tank, and then over at Ranger's office door. It was still closed, as it had been since Stephanie stormed out. Ranger was in there. He didn't seem to even care that Steph was so upset. He hadn't asked where she was or told anyone to go after her. My eyes slid over to Tank, and then back to Ranger's door. Tank shook his head slightly. Whatever the hell had happened, Ranger would hand us our heads if we went in there now. Steph's response to pain and anger was to run, Ranger's was to close up. Well, even more than usual. Tank might be able to get info out of him later. But now, anyone who approached him would get annihilated.

I watched the Steph blip speed up as the Bobby blip came up behind it. She was hauling, and I was relieved that Bobby backed off to give her some space. I could hear him on the radio talking to Tank. Steph had been completely out of control when she stormed out. In the two years I had been working at Rangeman, I had never seen her cry. Not even when she was injured. I liked Steph and I was worried about her. It really worried all of us. And Bobby said she was driving so crazily- shit. She could get hurt being so upset. I hoped she didn't get pulled over or arrested. Ranger hadn't told anyone to follow Steph, but he always had in the past. We knew that even if he was angry with her for some unknown reason, he would still want her protected. She had blown past all the exits for her usual destinations. Where was she going?

Bobby's POV

Steph was hauling about 90 mph and I was following about 2 car lengths behind. I had no idea where she was going. I was pretty sure by the erratic way she was driving, she didn't either. I suspected she just wanted to get as far from Ranger as she could. I was on the radio with Tank. He had tried calling her too, but she wasn't answering.

Steph sped up and rounded a curve, then darted off a highway exit. Where the hell was she going? This was the middle of nowhere. She accelerated hard at the light and sped another few miles down the street. I followed, wondering what the fuck was happening. I had been on the radio with Tank, and I knew that as long as she had her bag with her, Rangeman could track her. If she didn't get herself killed first. OR arrested.

Steph was driving fast and changing lanes erratically and I was afraid to get too close and have her bolt. Shit. I definitely had no idea how to handle this situation. I had no idea where we were, except in the boondocks, and I didn't think Steph knew, either.

Steph's car jerked and skidded to the shoulder of the road, as she stomped on the brakes without slowing down. Her car jolted to a stop so fast that I had to brake hard to keep from hitting her. Her car just sat on the shoulder, engine and headlights on. I was just behind her in the Explorer, letting Rangeman know where we had stopped. Tank wanted to know what was going on. I had no fucking idea. Steph's car just sat on the side of the road for five minutes, and I started to wonder what the fuck was happening. I got out of the Explorer and slowly approached her car. I was alert, in battle mode, ready for anything.

I looked through the tinted window of the car and saw Steph, with her head against the steering wheel, her body shaking. She appeared to be crying. I knocked gently on the window so I wouldn't scare her. She didn't even seem to notice that I was there. She was just shaking. I tried the door handle and it was locked. Well, at least she was thinking somewhat of safety. Especially in the middle of nowhere.

I tried her cellphone again and this time she opened it, but didn't say anything. " Steph, honey, its Bobby. I'm right outside the door. Open the door for me. Its ok." I just tried to speak softly into the phone. I crouched next to the door and tapped softly, trying to get her to open the door. I didn't want to have to smash the window or break in, that would scare her more. "Steph, its ok. Just open the door, sweetie."

After another minute or so, Steph opened the door and just about fell into my arms. She was crying uncontrollably, her entire body shaking. She was gasping for breath in between sobs and just managed to squeak out 'Bobby" between tears. I grabbed her as she fell into my arms, and reached around her to shut off the car's engine. She fell into my arms and I just knelt there holding her, her body wracked with sobbing. I had never seen her like this, and I didn't know what the problem was, so I wasn't sure what to do. I just held her tightly, let her tears soak my shirt, and whispered softly to try to calm her.

Tank's POV

Ranger was still in his office with his door closed, apparently not even caring that Steph was just driving out there, so upset. Bobby had been keeping us informed, but we hadn't heard anything from him for awhile. The GPS blips showed them both on a rural highway in the middle of nowhere. I had sent Lester out after them, in case Bobby needed help with her. I didn't know what had just happened between them, but I knew Ranger loved Stephanie, and he wouldn't want her out there upset and alone. We had to take care of her. Ranger would want us to, he just didn't realize it yet. I stared at the door, tempted to barge in and confront him to find out whatthe hell had happened, and maybe kick his ass.

Hal, what is up with the GPS? "They're still in the same place, Tank." I hadn't heard from Bobby since they stopped, so I didn't know what was going on. Maybe he had his hands full and couldn't get on the radio. What the fuck was happening?

Bobby's POV

I was holding Steph tightly and she was sobbing uncontrollably in my arms, my shirt wet with her tears. She was gasping for breath in between sobs, and her entire body was shaking, partially from the cold. I was kneeling next to her car , holding her . I didn't know what to say since I had no idea what the hell the problem was. I just rocked her a little and stroked her hair, "shh..shh.. Steph. it'll be ok. shh." She just cried into my shoulder while I whispered words to try to calm her. I was rubbing my hands up and down her body, trying to warm her. She was gulping in air and trying to talk, but her sobs made her words unintelligible. I didn't know what the hell else to do but let her cry. "Shh…Steph, its ok. Shh…" I kept whispering over and over. I was starting to get cold, so I knew she had to be freezing. I was a bit scared since I had never been in a situation like this before. Certainly never with Steph. She was tough and she NEVER cried.

I was still holding her, rocking her, trying to soothe her while she cried into my shoulder, when I saw another set of headlights pull up behind us.

Lester's POV

I had followed the GPS signal to the road in the middle of nowhere and I saw Steph's car and the Rangeman SUV were parked on the shoulder. As I pulled up, I saw Steph, half out of her car, and Bobby kneeling next to her car, holding her. Oh, shit. That couldn't be good. I radioed Tank that I had found them.

I approached Steph's car and saw her half out of it, in Bobby's arms, sobbing hysterically. Bobby was kneeling holding her, trying to get her to stop crying. Damn, I had never seen Steph like this. That must have been a hell of a fight to have her this upset. Steph usually would rather die than shed a tear,especially in front of us.

I got on the radio to Tank. " Bobby has her at these coordinates. She appears to be safe. "

I walked up to them and made eye contact with Bobby . I raised my eyebrow to ask, " What the hell is going on?" He made a face that said, "I don't know. But it's bad." Steph was shaking in his arms, sobbing into his shirt. She was saying things in between sobs, but I couldn't tell what she was saying. Her breathing was ragged and she gasped for air between sobs. I could hear Bobby whispering to her. Bobby was picking her up and carrying her to his car. I grabbed her purse- I knew she'd want it later.

Bobby's POV

She had been crying in my arms for about ten minutes, shivering hard from her sobs and the cold. I reached into the car and shut off the headlights. I reached in and grabbed Steph off the seat. " Comeon Sweetie. Lets get you out of here." I picked her up but she seemed oblivious, her head still buried in my shoulder. I heard her mumble something, but I couldn't tell what.

I heard Lester on the radio to tank, " Ok, Bobby has her. He'll take her home. Send someone here for her car." I locked the doors to her car and walked back to the SUV.

I put her in the passenger seat and had to disengage her arms from around my neck. Steph's crying had quieted some, but she was still shaking with sobs. Her face was red and splotchy and she was gasping for breath and had hiccups. I was still whispering quietly to her as I buckled her in. Lester put her purse on the floor of the passenger seat so she'd have it when she needed it. I got in, turned on the heat, and looked at Steph, who was now quieting down. " I want to go home, " she whispered. I knew she wasn't talking about Ranger's home. She wanted to go to her apartment. I got on the radio and told Tank, "I have Steph. I'm going to take her to her apartment. Send someone for her car. And someone should probably be with her at her place. "

I drove through the night, listening to Steph's now quiet sobbing, which soon quieted into the occasional hiccup and then silence. She had fallen asleep, obviously exhausted from the argument and her flight and crying jag. Her face was red and her breathing was even with sleep. Shit. What the hell just happened? And why? I 'd never seen Steph- or anyone melt down like that. I wondered what the hell she and Ranger had argued about to cause this type of reaction. It didn't matter though, he loved her, and so did we, and even if he was mad at her, we were still going to take care of her.

She didn't wake up when I stopped the car and unbuckled her, and lifted her into my arms. I slung her purse into my shoulder and carried her upstairs. I gently took her to bed, took off her shoes and put her under the covers. She would be more comfortable without her clothes on, but I wasn't going there. I stayed next to her bed for a minute, making sure she was sleeping soundly.

I went into the living room and found Lester there. We were both surprised and clueless about what had happened but we knew Steph probably shouldn't be alone. Lester fed her hamster, then sat down and turned the TV on low. He would stay with her. I left to go back to Rangeman to try to figure out what happened and what to do about it. As I left, I saw Lester on the couch still but completely alert, in his zone, guarding Steph. From what, we didn't know.


	2. Chapter 2

The Rift- Ch. 2

Lester's POV

I spent the night on Steph's couch, in my zone. She seemed to sleep peacefully, I know , because I went to check on her at least three times. Her face was red and blotchy, and her eyes were swollen from so much crying. There were tear streaks down her cheeks, as if she had cried herself to sleep. She looked so vulnerable. What the hell was going on?

I sat down on her couch again and went into my zone to think. I knew that my military training would enable me to be alert and react to the slightest sound or movement, or if Steph had a problem. There had probably been four other guys in the control room during Steph and Ranger's fight. Steph had been fine when she had gone in, her usual perky self. All of us guys had looked at each other when we heard the muffled yelling from inside the office. We couldn't make out what the muffled voices were saying, but the fact that the voices kept getting louder and louder indicated that this was something serious. Well, I should say that Steph got louder and louder. She tends to get loud and sarcastic when she is upset. Ranger's voice just got lower and stayed completely calm .With Ranger, a quiet and calm voice is not a good thing- it is a sign that he his pissed. They've been on –again off again for years, and had plenty of arguments, but nothing like this.

Steph hadn't had stalkers after her, she hadn't done anything to make Ranger anywhere near this angry. She had just gone into another off- again stage, probably permanent, in her relationship with Morelli, so the fight couldn't be about him. When Steph opened the door and came out so visibly upset, we were all surprised. We tried not to let her know we were staring, but, well, how could we not? We were even more surprised that Ranger's door stayed closed. I kept thinking about it all night until my cell rang. Hal was downstairs to relieve me.

Steph's POV

The first thing I felt as I came back into wakefulness was the intense burning in my eyes. The second thing I felt was a deep sense of hurt and emptiness. Not to mention embarrassment. I never cry, even when I am hurt, but last night I had lost it not only over Ranger but in front of his men. Then I had sobbed pathetically all over poor Bobby. Well, no danger of that happening again. I wasn't going into Rangeman again, if ever. I didn't need Ranger or his men.

I woke up and washed my face, then shuffled into the kitchen. I felt desolate and not really hungry, but a Tastycake was a Tastycake. I looked out the window and saw the damn black SUV. One of Ranger's guys. What the hell? I knew Ranger hadn't sent them, not after last night. So why was it here? "Well, it doesn't matter, " I told Rex, who was hiding in his can," I didn't want them here. I didn't want anyone here. I wanted my comfort food and my bed and I needed to think. I wanted to hide in my can- my apartment.

I frowned again as I saw Lester leave and the other SUV's engine shut off. I didn't want them here. I was being independent. I didn't need or want Ranger's little babysitters. After last night, I am surprised he'd let them be here.

I locked the door, but my locks are pathetic- they can't keep a 5 year old out. So, I put a chair under the doorknob and a bookcase up against it so I could have some damn privacy. I needed to think long and hard about last night and what happened. And I needed to do it in peace.

Hal's POV

I pulled up at Steph's place and caught Lester on his way out. He said Steph was sleeping and she'd had a pretty peaceful night. Good. Peaceful was good, where Steph was concerned. We really still had no idea what the hell was going on, Steph hadn't said a word to Bobby or Lester about it. And Ranger had come out of his office stone- faced and with a "do not approach me" aura emanating from him loud and clear. None of us guys were stupid- we knew Ranger would chew us up and spit us out if we approached him in that state. We liked our jobs and our lives, so we didn't. Maybe Tank could get something out of him later.

I went up to Steph's place and knocked on the door. No answer. I knocked again. She answered, still wearing the clothes she slept in. " Hey Steph, " I said. My shift to guard you. I brought you donuts." She smiled and took the donuts through the small crack between the door and the frame. "Hal, I just want some privacy today- I need to think. I don't think Ranger would want you guys here anyway, after last night, " she said. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Anyway,if you want to stay, that is fine, but outside. I need some time to think ." She looked like she had been crying all night. Think about what? She obviously didn't want me inside, so I stood outside the door in the hallway.

I went into my zone and tried to ignore the neighbors. What the hell did she mean that Ranger wouldn't want us here? We had standing orders that she is to be guarded whenever there is some sort of threat to her. In the military, you follow orders unless they are changed or rescinded. Ranger had not changed or rescinded the order, so I was staying. It was tank who made the duty schedule anyway, so I was following his orders.

I stood at parade rest outside the door, since she wouldn't let me in the apartment. I didn't see movement at her windows. Maybe she was tired and just wanted to rest. I heard one of the inside doors close- maybe she was in the bathroom? Then noise. I spent my entire shift standing outside her door. She hadn't come out and I hadn't heard much other than that damn Ghostbusters movie playing over and over, like three times now. How the hell could she like that movie so much? It sucked. She hadn't even sent out for a pizza or anything, which was amazing, since she never had any food. I had knocked twice but she had ignored me.

An hour later another SUV pulled in. It was Woody, here to relieve me. He came up and was surprised to see me outside Steph's apartment. " She doesn't want us here. She says she wants to think and she hasn't been out all day, I explained at Woody's puzzled look. " What the hell is that all about? What is she doing in there?", he wondered. Other than playing Ghostbusters for the third time, I didn't know. Woody knocked on the door. "Hey, Steph!". When she didn't answer he knocked again. "Go away! " was the only reply. "I want to be left alone. I want to think." Woody looked at me quizzically and resumed his post at the door.

Lester's POV

I came back to Steph's to relieve Woody. He was standing outside the door. He said Steph had been inside all day and didn't want him to come in. She had ordered a pizza from Pino's and handed the money to the delivery guy through a small crack in the opened door. She said hi to Woody, and offered him a piece, but wouldn't let him come in. She said to go away, Ranger wouldn't want him here. She didn't need him here. But we have orders. And we care about her. So we aren't putting up with this shit. We were going to find out what the hell was going on.

" Do you have any idea what the hell is going on?" Woody asked me. Both Steph and Ranger were acting really odd since the argument yesterday. The atmosphere at Rangeman was not good. Most of us spent the day trying not to get noticed by Ranger, who was on the warpath. He told Tank to get Steph's ID, gun, and fob from her desk , as she wouldn't be working for Rangeman anymore. He gave no explanation as to why and the look in his eyes dared anyone of us to ask him. Anyone who mad the slightest mistake got chewed out. Ranger spent a lot of time in his office and at the gym and shooting range, presumably getting out his aggression.

Now Steph was apparently holed up in her apartment, not wanting any of us around. What the fuck was happening? They had had disagreements and even fights in the past, but nothing this bad. It was usual for Ranger to clam up, he never showed emotion and showed even less so when he was angry. But Steph never shut us out , even when she and Ranger were on the outs.

Steph seemed to like me, so maybe I'd have better luck. I knocked on the door. " Hey, Steph, it's Lester." After a minute or so, I knocked again. "Comeon Steph. Don't be mad at us. Let me in." Once again I was talking to the door. Woody gave me a "see- I –told-you-so" look. Enough of this shit, I was going to find out what the hell was going on. "Ok, Steph, I warned you. I'm coming in." I started to pick the lock and found that the lock wasn't the problem. She had put things in front of the door; heavy things. She obviously was serious about not wanting us here. "Shit." I could break down the door, but I wanted to get permission from Tank before I did anything so drastic.

Tank's POV

The tension here at Rangeman was so thick you could cut it with a knife. No one spoke at all on the fifth floor, and only whispered briefly when in the break room. Not that anyone was crazy enough to take a break with the mood Ranger was in. He had been down sparring with Cal and "accidentally" broke Cal's nose. Shit. I should have known better than to let Cal spar with him in this mood- I should have gone myself. I can handle him sparring- even in this kind of mood.

Ranger came back up onto the fifth floor and stared briefly at Stephanie's cubicle. He looked at me with that blank look and said, " Get Steph's gun, key fob, and ID. She won't be working at Rangeman anymore." All the guys were looking at him surreptitiously over their cubicles, shocked by the callous way he had dismissed her. They only saw the totally blank expression in his face and the anger in his eyes. Ranger was a master of what Steph called the "blank face". He was such a good soldier because there was no way you could tell by his face what he was thinking or feeling. People that didn't know him well would say that there is nothing but anger radiating in his eyes. I saw more.

Ranger and I have been friends for years. Out of all the employees at Rangeman , Bobby, Lester, and I were the closest to him and had known him the longest. We were practically like brothers. We had been through hell with him. I followed his gaze to Steph's cubicle and heard his command, but I saw more than just anger flashing in his eyes. Under the anger, I saw hurt and pain- the kind of emotional pain he would never admit to. Hell, he would never even acknowledge physical pain, let alone the emotional kind. To Ranger, letting others see your feelings was like giving your enemy the knife to stab you with. But just because he kept them hidden didn't mean that Ranger's emotions weren't there. Under the anger he had the ferocious look of a wolf caught in a trap, in pain, but showing aggression and violence. Whatever happened between them had hurt Ranger as much as it had hurt Steph. The only difference was, he'd never let it show.

After issuing his command, I waited, expecting him to tell us to stop tailing Steph. But he didn't . He just stared at her cubicle for another minute and then went downstairs to the firing range to work out his anger. Good. He hadn't given me a direct order to stop assigning guys to look after Steph. Unless an order is changed or countermanded, you had to continue following it. So I was free to keep scheduling guys to guard Steph. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but I knew Ranger loved Steph and that he would want her protected. I was going to continue that protection until directly ordered not to.

My phone rang. "Talk." "shit. Ok, do that. Just don't scare her too much." This was worse than I thought. Steph didn't want us guarding her. She refused to let any of the guys in and had apparently barricaded the door so no one could pick the lock. She said she just wanted to be left alone. Well, leaving people alone isn't what we do at Rangeman, especially when the "people" are people we care about.

Lester's POV

I hang up the phone from talking to Tank and nodded at Woody. We had gotten the Ok to break down the door if Steph wouldn't let us in. I really didn't want to do that, though, so I tried again to get her to let me in. I knocked hard and loud to be heard over yet another playing of Ghostbusters. "Comeon Steph. Let me in. " A pause, then, "Go away. Ranger doesn't want you here and neither do I." " I mean it, Steph, let me in or I will fucking break down the door." There was always the chance she'd call the cops and have me arrested for breaking and entering, but I didn't think she would. She didn't want even MORE people here, and if she called 911, Morelli would definitely get wind of this. And then the whole Burg would know and she definitely didn't want that. I waited a moment for her reply. When I got none, I took a few steps back and threw my massive weight against the door. There was a crack and then a loud crash as the furniture behind the door fell over and went flying and the door flew open.

I stepped into the apartment to see Steph curled up in the chair opposite the couch, fiddling with Rex's cage and seemingly deep in thought. She jumped up at the sound of the door crashing open and looked pissed. " What the hell are you doing breaking down my door? I said I wanted to be left alone. You know the word "alone." It means without anyone else." That's how I want to be. Go away before I call the cops."

I went over to her and gripped her shoulders. I tried not to grab them hard enough to hurt her but I was so frustrated. We all were. " Steph I don't know what the fuck is going on, but I am going to find out. What the hell happened with Ranger? You love each other, so what the hell is with the crying and the pushing away? I expect Ranger to push us away, but not you."

She looked up at me and I saw her eyes were filling with tears again. She walked over and sat on the couch, the TV all but forgotten. She looked up at me and her eyes were brimming. She swallowed hard and then tried to explain. " Well, " she said in a tiny, shaky voice, " you know Ranger and I had an argument. But it was worse than usual. He said some terrible things to me." She stopped then and wiped her eyes and nose with a tissue. She sniffed, " I want to be alone to think because , the problem is, with some of those terrible things he said, they may be true."


	3. Chapter 3

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The Rift- Ch. 3

_Some of those terrible things Ranger said- they may be true._

Steph's POV

Lester and Woody both looked at me in confusion and panic. None of the guys ever seem to know what to do when I cry; and it seemed like I had been doing that a lot lately. Just ask poor Bobby. " Steph, sit down. What the hell are you talking about?", Woody handed me another tissue as the tears started flowing like a fire hydrant. " What terrible things did Ranger say that are true?" For a moment, it was all I could do to stop crying, let alone talk. Woody and Lester just looked at me helplessly while I got myself under control. This was going to be unbearable. But the guys HAD to know. They had all been so sweet to me. They had to know why I couldn't be around Ranger- or around THEM anymore. This was going to be really awkward. I really didn't want to go through this over and over again with all the guys- best to just get it over with once.

" Look, I know I owe you guys an explanation. I have been very weepy since yesterday. " Lester sat next to me and stroked my cheek, following the tracks of my tears. " Steph, you don't OWE us anything." Lester said. "We all love you and we are just concerned about you. You and Ranger fight and then suddenly you don't want us around. And you tell us he wouldn't want us here. Based on past experience, that seems unlikely. Ranger won't talk to anyone, either We are confused, but we only want you to tell us if you are comfortable with that." I looked at Lester through my tears in amazement. I couldn't help but chuckle. I think that was the most words I had heard from a Merry Man in , well, forever.

I sniffed, wanting to avoid ever talking about it to anyone, but I knew the guys weren't going to leave me alone until they understood what was going on. I sighed. I didn't have the desire or the energy to go through this over and over again, every time I saw one of the guys. I had to do it all at once. " I will tell you what is going on, but I only want to do it once. Call Bobby and Tank and they can hear it at the same time." Woody pulled out his cell and started calling. Lester tried to get me to tell him now, but I refused. He went to pick up all the mess off the floor until the other guys came.

Half an hour later, my living room was filled with five guys in black- Woody., Lester, Hal, Bobby, and Tank. They were so huge they took up all the space in the room and seemingly most of the air. I felt like I might suffocate in my small living room surrounded by huge men. My apartment looked like a miniature dollhouse when filled with so many guys. Bobby and Hal were very solicitous and brought me water and more tissues. Then, they all sat- in silence. And more silence. Damn those Merry Men and their tolerance for silence. Finally, I had no choice but to tell them what had happened just to end the abnormal silence.

Bobby's POV

Tank and I had been on monitor duty when Lester had called about wanting to break down Steph's door. I was worried at her state of mind if she had holed herself up in her apartment. When Woody called and said she wanted to talk to us, we dumped Vince with monitor duty. Not like Ranger would notice us gone , anyway. Since the fight with Steph, Ranger was never in the control room. He was either in his office or the shooting range.

Now, Woody, Lester, Hal, Tank, and I are all seated in Steph's apartment, surrounding her like a wall. She looked like hell, with puffy red eyes and a red splotchy face. For awhile we just sat there in silence, waiting for her to talk when she was ready. She would start to talk, then stop again to sniffle. I was sitting next to her, so I reached over and rubbed her shoulders gently, trying to give her comfort and encourage her to talk. Not that we guys didn't prefer silence, we really needed to know what the hell was going on here.

Finally, she got herself together enough to talk. " Well, if you remember , the other night Ranger and I had a huge fight," she began. Like I could forget the crazy car chase and holding her while she soaked my shirt with tears. I'd probably never forget that. "Well, " she continued," Ranger had made another of his sexual innuendos at me, like he always does, kissing my neck and putting his hands down my pants. I pulled away and told him that I didn't want him to do that because I wasn't sure what I felt for Joe. Joe and I have been "off again" but I am not sure what I want with him." She stopped to sniffle again. " Anyway, Ranger got angry. Not yelling angry, but that quiet angry that he does." I took her hand and held it gently, to give her moral support. "Ranger said that he was getting impatient and that I was going to need to decide what I want. He said I have to stop having it both ways with him. I won't be physical with Ranger because of Joe, but its Ranger, not Joe that I call when I am in trouble. He lets me use his cars and his apartment, he gave me a cushy job that I mess up a lot on, and always drops everything when I need help, yet I reject his advances in favor of Joe.

I looked around the room and saw the anger and confusion on the faces of all the guys. They were NOT happy with Ranger about now. Yet, Ranger was actually telling the truth. Steph had been back and forth a lot. She did always call Ranger when she was in trouble, and Ranger always helped her. She never called Morelli to help her. Morelli never helped her, he just yelled at her. yet she constantly rejected ranger's advances becasue of Morelli.

I squeezed Steph's hand gently to get her to continue. She sniffed again." Anyway, he told me that I need to stop playing both ways and decide what I want. He says I am using him- his cars, his men, when I am in trouble or when I need protection, but then I don't want anything to do with him at other times. He gave me a job at his company and I refuse to follow the rules, like carrying my gun, and then I want to be rescued when I get into trouble. He said that I had been having it both ways with him for awhile and he was getting impatient with that. He said maybe I should call Joe next time I am in trouble and see how that works." I got angry and told him he was wrong and told him I didn't want to work at Rangeman anymore. That was when I stormed out of there. I couldn't let him see me cry. I was just hurt and angry."

She stopped and I put my arm around her and kissed her forehead. " Of course you were sweetie, Ranger was an ass to hurt your feelings that way." All of us guys looked at each other. We hated that Steph was hurt because we loved her, and we definitely still wanted her to work at Rangeman. But we couldn't really say anything because some of what Ranger said was actually true. I wasn't about to point that out, though, and judging by the embarrassed looks on the guys faces, they weren't either.

Steph looked at me and continued, " Bobby, I locked myself up to think and I realized that he is an ass for making me cry, but some of what he said is true. I Have been using what he can give me when I want it, but then going to Joe instead of him." She stopped talking and dissolved into tears. " Ranger has been unselfish with me and I have been selfish and immature with him", she said. At least , that's what I THINK she said. It was hard to tell, since her voice was muffled, her face was pressed into my shoulder and her tears once again soaked my shirt. " I got angry and told him I didn't want him or his stuff, or the job with his company anymore, then. And that's when I came out of his office and, well, you know the rest." She had managed to get the words out and now was sobbing again on my shirt. Woody, Lester , and I exchanged glances. This was bad. Steph was never this emotional and weepy. I wasn't sure what the hell we could do.

Two hours later

Tank's POV

Yesterday, after Steph stormed out, Ranger said to get her gun and her ID from her desk- that she wouldn't be working at Rangeman anymore. That was all he had said about the matter. A day later and he hadn't said anything to anyone, other than to bark orders and chew out guys who didn't follow orders fast enough for him. He had spent the time since then either locked in his office or on the firing range. That's where he was now. I should leave him alone. But Steph was in pain. And from the look in Ranger's eye- he was in pain. Except he'd never admit it. To Ranger pain was weakness, and letting yourself love someone was weakness.

I heard the even, measured shots from Ranger's gun as I entered the firing range. He stopped shooting and sat down to clean the gun. I sat across form him and watched him clean the gun. Actually, he wasn't really cleaning it- he was just stroking it, almost fondling it, as one would a lover. Ranger found holding his gun comforting, he knew guns- he understood them- they never let you down. A soldier's gun was his best friend in wartime, so it made sense that Ranger would find comfort in his guns. But it was also kind of pathetic.

I sat next to him , waiting while he loaded, then unloaded, then stroked, then reloaded, then unloaded the gun. Finally, he looked up and I was taken aback by the tortured look in his eyes." How is Stephanie?" he asked. So he knew where Bobby and I had gone. Ok, what the hell do I say? " She's hurting," I said. Ranger held the gun for a minute, went and fired a few shots at the target, then sat down again and resumed loading and unloading it again. "Did she tell you what I said to her? Did she tell you why she won't be working at Rangeman anymore?" He put down the gun and ran his hands through his hair. " I bet you all thought that I fired her, didn't you?" His voice was overflowing with more emotion than I had ever heard from him before. " I know you all love her. Whenever something happens between us, you all think its always my fault. Did she tell you SHE quit Rangeman? I asked her to stay and she quit. She doesn't want me or my company or my men. " I didn't know what to say to that. "Ranger, she said you were angry about the Morelli thing and accused her of using you." He picked up a different, shining clean gun and started cleaning it to work off some of his anger. " She stays with Morelli, yet its me she calls when she needs a car or is in trouble. Its me, not Morelli, who protects her when she is being stalked. I am the one who accepts her for who she is and all he does is try to change her. She takes from me when she needs something, but then she doesn't want to be with me- she runs to Joe and not to me." I could tell how angry and confused Ranger seemed to be.

" But didn't you tell her your life doesn't lend itself to relationships?." I asked, trying to understand his position. He looked at me and sighed. " It doesn't. But that doesn't mean I don't love her. Hell, why else would I give her car after car, lose money protecting her, drop everything when she needs help, kill for her, let her stay at my place and sleep in my bed even though I am not allowed to have sex with her? I do it because I love her. And she takes the signs of my love and then runs to Morelli."

I was surprised at Ranger's openness. That was pretty much the most he had ever said to me at one time about, well, about anything. I knew he loved Steph. I am glad he finally realized it. Too bad Steph didn't. What a colossal fuck up this situation was. I sighed. This is why I hate actually having feelings. Right now, it was probably killing Ranger that he couldn't just turn off his love for Steph. His pain was eating him alive. These two were both really confused about their own feelings and the other's feelings. I grimaced. Now I am turning into Dr. Fucking Phil. This is what women will do to you. I left the range and went upstairs to talk to the guys about this seriously fucked up situation.


	4. Chapter 4

The Rift- Chapter 4

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The Rift- Chapter 4

Hal's POV

This past week has been hell. Ranger has been walking around looking like he wants to bang some heads together. We have all been trying to avoid him, but that hasn't been easy. Ram was five minutes late for his shift yesterday and Ranger gave him night surveillance duty for a week. Bobby ran out of ammunition during a take down and Ranger is making him clean the shooting range. Cal got a dent in the fender of an SUV and Ranger made him spend an extra hour on duty every day for the next week. Cal gets a damn dent in the car, and Ranger was pissed. But Steph has blown up several of Ranger's cars and he barely even acknowledges it. How can steph doubt that Ranger loves her? That should be proof right there.

I have been just showing up, doing my job, and trying to stay under Ranger's radar. When he hasn't been assigning harsh punishments for minor infractions, Ranger has been holed up in his apartment or in his office. The atmosphere in the office sucks, and we all know why. But none of us guys knows what to do about it.

I looked over at Ranger's closed office door and sighed. I would be pissed at Ranger for being such an asshole except for the look of barely disguised pain hidden under the anger in his eyes. I have to feel for the guy. He is one of my best friends and he is really hurting. This is why guys love sex and hate relationships. Sex is easy. Relationships are so fucking complicated.

Ranger and Steph had a big blowout fight. Usually, when they have a fight, I always think that Ranger is in the wrong. Usually, he is. This time, both Ranger and Steph are partially right. She does take him for granted and take advantage of his generosity, then reject him later. And Ranger tells Steph he wants only sex from her , when actually he wants more. Steph used to want more from Ranger, but now apparently isn't sure what she wants from him. Ranger claims he doesn't "do relationships" but what the hell does he think he has with Stephanie? Both of them are currently miserable. Ranger is making the rest of us miserable by being such a drill sergeant. Steph is making us miserable because she is miserable and we all hate to see her that way. Both of them are in pain and they are both too damn stubborn to tell the other how they really feel. This is pathetic. I feel like I am watching a fucking soap opera. Except this is real life that is so fucked up.

Since the big blow up, Ranger hasn't even mentioned Stephanie in the office. She hasn't been in, and Ranger has not ordered any surveillance shifts on her. But he hasn't "not ordered" them, either. Since Ranger never countermanded is standing order to guard Stephanie, we are still following it. Right now Lester and Bobby are on "Steph duty."

Bobby's POV

It has become a lot harder to guard Steph now because she doesn't want us to. She is trying to show Ranger that she doesn't need him or his things and so she is rejecting us. She no longer has the Rangeman car with the GPS tracker or the bug that was in her purse. She has gotten a cell phone without a tracer in it. So we have no way to guard her except the old fashioned way- visually. We have to actually tail her .That is hard to do without letting on that you are tailing her. Luckily, I am the master of the "discreet tail." Yesterday, Ram was tailing her, and he was able to put a small tracker on the underside of "Big Blue" so that has helped.

Lester and I have followed Steph all morning and now we are sitting outside the bonds office waiting for her to get the info on her latest skip. We have actually parked almost two blocks away and on the other side of the street from the bonds office, so Steph won't see us when she comes out. Steph spent the last several days in her apartment, then shopping with Lula, then with her family. Those are all easy situations to tail her in. But if she goes after a skip, it will be harder. We don't know who she is going after , how dangerous they are, and if she brought her gun ( which she never does.) We will need to be far enough away that she won't make us tailing her and bolt, but close enough to help her if she gets into trouble.

We watched as Steph and Lula left the bonds office and got into Big Blue. Fortunately, Connie was aware of the situation and thought it was ridiculous. So she is willing to help us in our quest to protect Steph from afar. Lester called Connie. "Hey, who did you just give to Stephanie?" I watched him frown as he listened. " Jim Condra? You gave her Jim Condra? Are you fucking crazy? What the hell did you give him to her for? He is a rapist and murderer. He is a Rangeman bond and way out of her league. I know she needs the money because she hasn't been working at Rangeman. Ok, never mind... where can we find him? Ok, thans." Lester hung up and echoed my worried look.

Shit, I thought. Steph was going after Jim Condra with only Lula to help? That was like the blind leading the goddamn blind. And Condra was a murderer who was surely armed with more than just pepper spray. Which was more than I could say for Steph. Lula probably had a gun but she couldn't hit the side of a barn. I pulled out and raced after Steph to find Condra. Part of me wanted to call Rangeman for backup. Tank would probably send someone if Ranger wasn't around to hear it. Shit this whole situation was seriously FUBAR. I bet if Ranger knew who Steph was after, he'd come here himself. He wouldn't let her get hurt or killed just because he was mad at her. He still loved her

We followed Stephanie to a construction site where Connie said that Condra would be working. We parked behind a backhoe so that she and Lula wouldn't see us. They got out of Big Blue and wandered pas the sign that said, "hard hat area." They were trying to be discreet, but Lula's neon yellow spandex bodysuit drew everyone's attention and made their eyes bleed.

Lester's POV

Bobby and I followed Steph and Lula into the "hard hat area" and I was briefly distracted by the thought of how sexy Steph would look in a hard hat, naked with a tool belt, and…my fantasy ended abruptly at the loud buzzing of a drill. Jim Condra stood six feet , two hundred pounds leaning against a beam with a cigarette in his mouth, drilling a hole in another beam. The bulge in the back waistband of his jeans indicated that he was carrying. Stupid idiot wasn't wearing ear protection.

Jim couldn't hear Steph approach over the loud sound of the drill until she was nearly on top of him. "Bond enforcement," she yelled as she lunged forward to stun him with her stun gun. He dropped the drill and palmed his gun in one quick movement. Bobby and I drew our guns but before we could catch up to Steph, she lunged at him, trying to knock the gun from his hand. The force of her body disturbed his precarious balance sent him to the ground. Steph was on top of him, struggling for control of the gun. Lula was behind them , holding her gun on them.

Steph and Condra rolled over each other, trying to get control of the gun in Condra's hand. I could tell she would quickly lose that battle to Condra's superior strength. " Let go of the gun, you fucker, I yelled, holding my Glock on Condra's moving head. Bobby put his Glock directly on Condra's temple and pried the gun from his fingers, sending it skittering across the ground. Lula ran over and picked up Condra's gun. " See, we got you , you motherfucker, " she yelled in his face. Bobby pulled Steph out from under Condra and put her on her felt, then began to cuff Condra.

Bobby's POV

I cuffed Condra and then turned to look back at Steph. She was dirty and her hair was disheveled. There was a smudge of dirt on her face that, coupled with the "just rolled around in" hair made her look oddly sexy. She was talking to Lula and rubbing her right hand, but she didn't appear to be hurt. I walked over. "Hey,honey. Are you hurt? Let me see your hand." I grabbed for her hand, but she jerked it away from me and backed up.

"What the hell are you two doing here? How the hell did you follow me? Did you put a bug on my car?" She started racing over to Big Blue and slid under it, looking for the GPS bug. I knew she found it when I heard, "damn." The GPS bug flew off the car onto the ground. Steph stood up and ground the bug with her heel, pulverizing it into nothing. "Dammit. I told you guys. I don't want you following me. I don't want Ranger or Rangemen."

Les brought Condra over, cuffed and shackled, and started putting him into the back of Big Blue. " No, way. He's not my collar- he's yours. You took him down- you take the fee", Steph yelled. Les tried to reason with her, " Now sweetie, you took him down, we just helped." Steph ran over and started to yank Condra back out of Big Blue. After a moment, Lula helped and they managed to get him out. " Take him back to Rangeman. I don't want Ranger saying that I am having his men get my FTAs and then I'm taking the bond fee for them. Your capture, your fee."

I looked at Les, unsure how to handle this. Steph needed the money. She had gone after a skip that was way too dangerous for her, risking getting killed, because she was desperate for money. Hell, she probably would have been killed if Les and I hadn't intervened. But she needed the money. Hell, Ranger would want her to have the money. But I was pretty sure that after her fight with Ranger, she would want to prove that she didn't need him. The problem was, she did. And he needed her. Fuck.

Steph was already getting into Big Blue and rolling the engine over, leaving us standing there with Condra. Nothing much else to do but take him in. "Comeon you fucker. ", Les said, dragging him into the SUV. We took Condra to the station and got the body receipt for him. We had to go to the bonds office and get Connie to send the check to Stephanie. That way, Connie could claim she thought Steph had captured Condra, and was paying her. If Connie gave Rangeman the money, and Tank sent Steph a check, she would probably tear it up. What a seriously fucked situation this was.

Les and I went to Steph's apartment and saw Big Blue in the lot. Ordinarily, one of us would have gone up and made sure the apartment was safe before we let her in. This wasn't an ordinary circumstance. Another black SUV pulled up and Woody got out to relieve us. We saw movement through the windows, so we knew Steph was actually there.

Woody went up and spent his shift stood standing outside her door, protecting her even though she didn't want protection. We'd kep protecting her until either she or Ranger came to their senses and made up , though there were not bets on how long THAT would take.


	5. Chapter 5

The Rift Ch. 5

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Inspired by an event that happened to my friend.

Woody's POV

For the last month, all of us guys had taken turns following Steph. No one imagined that the rift between her and Ranger would go on this long. Damn, but they were both stubborn. Ranger had gone to Florida for two weeks to oversee Rangeman Miami, leaving us shorthanded. It didn't matter, Tank still set someone on Stephanie. She hadn't been anywhere near Rangeman and none of us wanted to lose touch with her. We were still hoping to knock some sense into their heads and get them to see how much they loved each other, but so far, none of our finely crafted plans had worked. We had even gotten to the point where we kept a record of everywhere we followed her, so we would know a pattern of places she frequented in case we lost track of her.

I watched her pull into the massive parking lot at Costco. Weird. This was the second time this week she had come here. It wasn't as if she had lots of room in her apartment to store shit like five gallons of mayonnaise. She had to park almost at the end of the parking lot and walk up to the store. I was lucky to find a spot in front, and I crouched down in the seat so she wouldn't see me when she walked past. I waited until she had passed the car and then followed her into Costco. The guy at the door was checking membership cards. I didn't have one but it didn't matter. One glare from me, a huge fucking muscular guy in black carrying a gun, kept the man from even asking for my card. I got dizzy following Steph around that place; past obscenely large containers of food. What the hell? Steph was just walking around, talking to all the annoying demo people, eating lots of free samples of food. She went all over the store eating samples. I couldn't believe she was doing this. Was she THAT hard up for money? How humiliating. Although I had to admit that the London Broil was scrumptious and so was the hot chick with the big breasts serving it.

Ranger would have a fit if he knew she had so little money that she was raiding Costco samples. Damn him, anyway. He should be taking care of her. Steph finished the last sample and then made a beeline out of the store, without ever even looking at the ginormous merchandise.

I was trying so hard not to have Steph notice me that I almost lost sigh of her as she left the lot. I followed her downtown to the Medical Arts building. I looked at the list. She had been here a week and a half ago, too. What was up? Was she sick?

Steph's POV

At least I feel better after I raided Costco. My stomach was no longer growling. But that was the only good thing right now. I had only been catching low level skips ( and lately they were few and far between). I was late on the rent and now this. I tried not to worry about money, after all, now I had my health to worry about. My eyes clouded up as I thought about how alone I was. I hadn't talked to Ranger in over a month, and even the guys had seemed to stop following me. Well, this was what I wanted- I wanted to be independent. I wanted to show Ranger that I didn't need him. I didn't need anyone.

I stared at the wall and remembered how I had found the huge lump in my right breast two weeks ago. It was huge and I panicked. Ok, I know, like 80 of lumps are benign, but my Dad's mother had breast cancer and so did his sister. Last week I had gone to the doctor to get a breast exam. The doctor had referred me to a specialist for a diagnostic mammogram and a breast ultrasound. that was very scary. The first trip to the doctor had been tremendously expensive, but apparently I had more to worry about than just money. I was scared. And I had almost done what I had gotten used to doing whenever I was scared- call Ranger. I wanted to hear his voice, hear him calm me with his gentle , "babe." Then I remembered how I didn't need him. How he accused me of using him. Well, to hell with him. I missed Ranger and I needed him. My eyes clouded up and I had to wipe away tears as I was called into the office.

Ram's POV

I was waiting outside Steph's apartment when she pulled in driving Big Blue. Woody passed shortly after, and I flashed my lights at him, signaling that I would pick up the surveillance. Steph got out of her car and walked up to her apartment , not even looking away from the ground. I waited outside for almost two hours, watching her window with binoculars for hours until the lights finally went out in her apartment.

Once Steph was settled into sleep, I did one of the things I did best- besides sex, I mean. I broke into her place. It was laughable how shitty her locks were. She might as well put up a sign inviting rapists and murderers in. I crept though her dark apartment, the silence broken only by Rex spinning furiously on his wheel. I only stopped for a minute to see that she was sleeping.

I went directly to the table where she had thrown her stuff. I was looking for something specific. We knew she'd been to the doctor twice in three weeks. We weren't sure why. If she was sick, well, if she was sick then fuck this stupid shit, we were getting her and Ranger together. I rooted around quietly until I found the paper from the doctor. On it was written, "fibrocystic breast disease." Yikes. I had no idea what that was but it sounded bad. I pocketed the sheet to show to Bobby. He would know what that was. I took another look at Steph sleeping quietly and then left the apartment.

Steph's POV

I stood under the powerful shower spray and looked down at my right breast. I felt the huge lump again and sighed. Ok, at least the doctor had done the ultrasound and said it was just a cyst and cysts were benign. It wasn't cancer. That was good to know. But it still really hurt and I was still scared and lonely. Ok, so it wasn't cancer. Good. For now. But the cyst had scared me enough to make me think hard about my life. It made me think that I wasn't as tough as I thought I was. I wanted to be held. I wanted Ranger. I mean, I really wanted Ranger. I sighed. He hadn't talked to me or made any contact with me in the past month. His men had even stopped following me. The stress of the past two weeks finally got to me and I started to cry- I had lost him. He didn't love me anymore. If he ever did. I thought back to all the things he had done for me and how secure he made me feel. Nothing could ever hurt me when Ranger was there. Now he wasn't. And I felt alone. Completely alone.

Bobby's POV

Lester, Ram, and Hal were leaning over my shoulders reading the computer screen. I really hate when people do that. When Ram had shown me the doctor's notes, I wasn't sure what the disease was. The guys peered over my shoulder as I typed "fibrocystic breast disease" into Google and clicked on the first link that came up.

"Fibrocystic breasts are characterized by lumpiness and usually discomfort in one or both breasts. The condition is very common and benign, meaning that fibrocystic breasts are **not** malignant (cancerous). Fibrocystic breast disease (FBD), now referred to as fibrocystic changes or fibrocystic breast condition, is the most common cause of "lumpy breasts" in women and affects more than 60 of women. The condition primarily affects women between the ages of 30 and 50 and tends to become less of a problem after menopause. In some women with fibrocystic breasts, the pain and tenderness are constant, and many lumpy or nodular areas can be felt throughout both breasts."

"Ok, so, it says benign", Hal said. "That means it isn't cancer. " This whole subject was very creepy- but this was Steph- we HAD to know what it was. I sighed in relief. She had been to the doctor twice in three weeks and probably had been scared to death that it was cancer. It seems that fibrocystic breast disease is painful and probably scary, but not serious. All of us guys let out the breaths we didn't realize we'd been holding. Lester was pacing behind me. "Ok, that's it." This shit between her and Ranger has got to be fixed. She is fucking eating at Costco because she doesn't have money. She could have been seriously ill and needed him, or us. We wouldn't even have known.

I was beyond pissed thinking about Steph worrying for weeks about this, hungry and broke and scared and too fucking proud to come to us. And too stubborn to go to Ranger. And he was so fucking stubborn that he went a thousand miles away from her so he wouldn't have to deal with it. I shared a look with the guys and saw agreement in their faces. I picked up the phone and pressed #1- Ranger's cell phone. This shit was ending now.

Ranger's POV- Miami

I held my Glock on the huge bald FTA, countering the gun he had held on me. He was scum of the earth, wanted on two counts of rape. A noise distracted him and I knocked the gun from his hands, sending it flying. He drew back his fist, but hadn't even gotten a punch in when I knocked him to the floor and started beating the hell out of him. His blood started spurting everywhere, all over my clothes, but I didn't care. It felt so good to punch him. I kept hitting him, beating him to a pulp, taking out all the frustrations from the last three weeks on him. With each punch, I thought of the frustration of my relationship with Stephanie, the loneliness of the last several weeks.

I had finally dispensed with all the anger inside me and got up off the bloody mess on the floor. Just as I was dragging his bloody body off the floor, my cell phone vibrated. I looked down at the number. Bobby. That was weird. I had been gone over three weeks and I hadn't heard from the guys. They knew I was on business. For him to call me here, it must be important, even an emergency. The only thought that crossed my mind was "Stephanie" and I opened the phone.


	6. Chapter 6

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The Rift- Ch. 6

Bobby's POV

Last night, we found out about Stephanie's condition, and we had all been researching women's breasts. Unfortunately not by fondling them, which is how I usually liked to research them. Woody had been bored on monitor duty and done a ton of research on fibrocystic breast disease (FBD), including graphic pictures of an ultrasound of women's breasts showing the cysts. Yuck. Knowing what is in there has totally killed any desire I might have had to fondle women's breasts anymore. We have all been grossed out but also strangely fascinated. We had to find out what this was all about so we would know how to help Steph if she needed us. So far, none of the research indicated this condition was at all serious. Just painful.

I had called Ranger last night when we had first found out about Steph's condition. He needed to know. My fists clenched again at the thought of Steph broke, scared , and alone, worried about this for weeks. I hadn't told Ranger much, just that there was a situation with Stephanie and that he should come home. Ok, there is no real reason medically for Steph to need him. FBD is painful sometimes, but mostly harmless. But this shit between the two of them had gone on long enough. Whatever excuse we could use to get them back together was fine with me.

Steph's POV

I was still tired when I woke up. I had had a weird dream that someone had broken into my apartment and watched me sleep. But the only one who ever did that was Ranger, and he'd been out of my life for over a month now. I woke up and stretched, the pain in my right breast stopping me mid-stretch. I once again felt the relief that it hadn't been cancer, but it was still annoyingly painful. I touched my breast- it was almost swollen from the cyst. The doctor had given me an antibiotic and said that might help shrink it. Also, he said if I could go without a bra for a day or so, that would help decrease the irritation. I felt weird not wearing a bra, but it wasn't like I had a lot of cleavage to get loose.

I didn't really feel like going anywhere or doing anything today. It wasn't the cyst, it was my sadness. Ok, so at least I didn't have to worry about cancer, but I still had no job, no money, and my rent was overdue. Not to mention the loneliness I felt without Ranger. And just yesterday's doctor appointment had cost more than 600. Rex just spun on his wheel, oblivious to anything but running his imaginary marathon. Sometimes hamsters make sucky company. I ate my last Pop-Tart and sat down in front of the TV. I didn't really feel like doing anything, but I didn't have a choice, I had to get some money. After about an hour, I got bored watching TV and decided to get on with it and get to Vinnie's office to get some skips.

Hal's POV

I had tailed Stephanie from her apartment and to the bonds office. After last night, all of us RangeMen had decided to stop trying to stay hidden from Steph. Not only was it a hassle, it was silly. She needed us, so there was no reason we shouldn't try to help her. Besides, Rangeman has much business with Vince's as Steph did. I watched Steph park Big Blue at the curb and walk into the bonds office. I waited five minutes, then walked my badass self into the office as well. I walked in with my usual swagger, seemingly oblivious to Steph's presence. "Hey, Connie, what have you got for Rangeman?, " I asked. Connie looked from me to Steph, who was standing in the back doorway, then back to me. "Well, I ah, well, I was just telling Steph that it has been pretty slow." I took that minute to pretend that I had just noticed Steph. "Oh, hey, Steph. What 's up? How are you? I smiled. "We miss you at Rangeman." She looked like she'd like to be anywhere but here. " Oh, hi, Hal. I'm good. I miss Rangeman, too." Connie looked with confusion between us. "Like I said, um, its been slow. I really only have one skip.' She moved the folder for Ted Baglione across the desk towards me.

I knew Ted Baglione by reputation. He was a dangerous bastard, arrested for a variety of felonies including assault and rape. How the hell he kept getting bailed out was beyond me. He was short and pudgy and I could bring in this guy with one arm tied behind my back. I looked over at Steph, who was starting to walk past me and out of the office. I put out my arm, just barely grazing the front of her shirt. "Hey, Steph. Why don't you give me a hand with him and we can split the bond?' She had a suspicious look on her face, as if she knew I could take him on my own, so I had to convince her. "He likes to run, and he can run fast for a short guy. You can usually get them to come without running." I saw the look on her face waver, and then change. "um, ok, Hal. It'll be fun."

She followed me quietly out to the SUV. I knew she was probably hungry, since she didn't have any money to eat, so I figured I'd get us food first. I pulled into the McDonalds drive through. "Hal, what are we doing here? I don't think Baglione hangs out here." I had to chuckle at the confused look on her face. She really was sweet. Ranger was an ass for not sweeping her off her feet. And she was foolish for not wanting to be swept. "Sorry, Steph. I got to work late today and didn't have time to eat. " She looked astonished. "You eat here? What happened to the "my body is a temple" thing?" I smiled. "Oh, that's Ranger's gig. I usually eat healthy but sometimes I get a craving for a delicious burger and fries." Oh, man, I was such a good actor. I should get a fucking Oscar.

We parked while we ate and I couldn't help but stare at Steph's breasts. She didn't have a bra on. I could tell because her nipples were visible through her shirt. Damn. I was getting hard. Why the hell wasn't she wearing a bra? Maybe I was because of the cystic thing. I thought about the pictures we'd seen on Google and blanched. Well. Maybe her absence of a bra on would help lure Baglione. After all, he was a rapist, he would definitely notice breasts.

Steph's POV

I was surprised that Hal would eat at McDonald's. I was pretty sure the "body is a temple" thing was in the Rangeman contract. I caught him a few times staring at my breasts, but I knew he wasn't doing it to be disrespectful. Any guy would notice my nipples sticking out. Still, it felt weird and I folded my arms over my chest, which hurt. "Here is a Rangeman jacket you can wear, so he will know you are an official bounty hunter. Hal handed me the lightweight jacket. What a sweetie. He knew I didn't need a jacket. He was just giving me a way to preserve my modesty and cover the evidence of my braless-ness.

It took three hours for us to track Baglione down. That three hours was filled with mostly companionable silence. Hal wasn't much of a talker. I was, but I couldn't think of anything not awkward to say. It was weird, but I felt comfortable with Hal. I felt safe and protected in a way I hadn't in months. I knew that Hal would protect me, no matter what. In spite of wanting my independence, a part of me wanted to be protected and taken care of. I looked at Hal's powerful arms and thought of Ranger and how much I missed him. I wanted him, but I didn't want him the way it had been.

We finally located Baglione outside one of his favorite haunts, a sleazy bar off Stark Street. Just walking into the place made me want to bathe in disinfectant. Hal stayed in front of me the whole time, walking right up to Baglione. I didn't have time to say more than "Bond enforcement" before Hal had the guy cuffed and restrained. I was starting to feel set up. Hal could obviously have handled this himself. He looked at me with a grin. "See, he didn't run because you are here. If it had been just me, he'd have taken off like a bat out of hell." I smiled back, knowing that Hal was bullshitting me. He was sweet, but totally bullshitting me.

Woody's POV

Ranger arrived in the conference room of Rangeman Trenton with dark circle under his eyes, clearly exhausted. He had taken the redeye from Miami and hadn't slept the whole flight. He was now close to 30 hours without sleep. Bobby, Tank, Lester, and I had met him in the garage and followed him to the conference room to brief him on the situation with Steph. We had a simple plan. We had agreed that we weren't going to lie to Ranger, because we enjoyed living, but we would just not correct any misconceptions he might develop about the situation with Stephanie, either.

"Ok, now what's up with Steph. Bobby said it was urgent. You know Steph and I aren't involved with each other anymore," Ranger said wearily. I put what I hoped was a grim expression on my face. "Well, we've been tailing Steph for the last several weeks." Ranger looked shocked and threw a glare Tank's way. " Well," Tank said, " you gave us an order a long time ago and you never rescinded it, so we kept doing it. That is military protocol." Ranger glared at Tank for a moment, then relented.

" Anyway," Bobby said, " one of the places that we have tailed Steph twice now has been the Medical Arts building on Ninth Street." He threw a picture of Steph outside the clinic on the table. "We weren't sure why she was going there, so we researched the place. The office we followed her to was a mammography place. She went there twice within three weeks." Bobby paused for a moment to let Ranger catch up. I wasn't sure if he knew what mammography was, cause , well, what guy does?

I started to explain. "Mammography is the examination of a woman's breasts for…" " Yes, I know what mammography is, Woody, " Ranger interrupted. I looked surreptitiously at Bobby, Tank, and Lester. They were also studying Ranger's expression. Ranger was starting to think in the right direction.

Bobby continued, " We were really worried about Steph since she is only 30 and it is not usual for a woman her age to,er..need a mammogram. Then we found out that her paternal grandmother, and two paternal aunts both got breast cancer in their thirties. And that it can run in families. We later found out that Steph has another appointment at the same place in a month.

Ranger was just staring into space. He was putting together the true but inconclusive facts we gave him and draw a conclusion. I looked at the guys and we all shared a tiny grin.

Ranger's POV

I was so tired and my eyes actually stung from lack of sleep. I hadn't thought about much but Steph since I'd gotten Bobby's call. I had missed her more than I wanted to admit. For a big badass, no emotions guy, I felt empty and alone without her. I wanted her back, but not the way it was before. I wanted her to want me permanently. But I didn't know if we could work it out.

I sat there staring, with the guys muffled voices barely penetrating my tired mind. My brain snapped to attention at the word mammogram. I knew that was to check women for breast cancer, but those were common. Women got them all the time. Steph was young, and it was usually older women who needed to worry.

I wasn't concerned until I realized that Steph had been there twice in less than a month. Most women only went once a year. Maybe there was a retest or something. My eyes began to dart from Lester, to Woody, to Tank, to Bobby as the pieces fell together in my head. Steph was only thirty, but both her aunts got cancer in their thirties. Shit. I knew it could be hereditary. Oh, God, poor Steph. She had breast cancer. Shit. Women died from that.

Ok, Steph had seen the doctor, but she didn't have insurance. I wanted her to get the best doctors. I knew some people I could call. One of them was a doctor who had once worked at the White House. Steph was a fighter, she'd beat this. She had to. I'd help her through it. She needed me and I needed to take care of her. We'd work it out, but I wouldn't let her do this alone.

Bobby was rambling on about something, but I didn't care. I got up and left the room.

Lester's POV

As Bobby talked, I watched Ranger's eyes. The assumptions he was making were the ones we wanted him to make. This just might work. Suddenly, Ranger got up and raced out of the room, right in the middle of Bobby's sentence. I met the guy's eyes and smiled. The plan was working. Bobby was a genius.


	7. Chapter 7

The Rift-7

Steph's POV

I had finally apprehended a skip, the first one in a long time. I had money now, so I had gotten a few more days worth of food. And food for Rex. The Rangeman SUV had been following me not-so -discreetly most of the day. I guess it was hard to be discreet in a huge, pristine black Escalade with bulletproof, tinted windows and several antennas. I had given up fighting it. It pissed me off, but it also secretly made me feel good to know that someone was watching out for me. I hadn't heard from Ranger in ages, and I was worried that our last disagreement really would be our LAST disagreement. I looked over at the SUV , but the windows were so darkly tinted that I couldn't see inside. I figured that whoever was inside there would be communicating with Rangeman offices. They were probably laughing at me behind my back thinking, " Look at poor Stephanie, isn't she pathetic? She can't make it without Ranger's help…"

I went over to the SUV and rapped on the driver side window. It descended, revealing Ram. He smiled at me. " Hi, sweetie. What's up?" I had interrupted the conversation he was having via his Bluetooth, probably with Rangeman. I waited while he finished quickly and hung up. " What are you saying to them about me? Are you all making fun of me behind my back because I am so pathetic without Ranger?" I had turned and stormed back towards my building. My quick flight made Ram quickly shut off the engine to race after me. I don't know why I had said that to him. I was glad they were still looking after me, so why the hell did I feel so humiliated?

Ram's POV

"What the fuck?," I think. Steph is fucking PMSing or something. She raps on the window and starts yelling at me and accusing me. Then she runs away. Why the hell do women always stomp off like that? I had to hurry to shut off the ignition and chase after her. " What he hell? " I catch up to her and grab her arm to turn her around. I am a little pissed now so I have to remind myself to be gentle. " What the fuck was that? Why would any of us make fun of you? When have we ever done that?" It was true we did sometimes talk about her when she wasn't around, but hey, worry was different from mocking. Never mind the pool about when she'd blow up another car. That was harmless, and I was pretty sure she didn't know about that, anyway. She met my eyes, and I could see the embarrassment and sadness in hers.

" Well, you guys have been following me around forever, you've seen Steph get poor and pathetic without Ranger. I am so glad I can be amusement for you." I winced. I wished Ranger had never given her that shit about her being amusement for his men. I don't think he meant it the way he said it.

I proceeded slowly, not really sure what the hell to say. Have I mentioned that I am more of a badass lover than a talker? Steph had been so fucking moody lately none of us was really sure how to handle her. " Steph, honey, where the hell did you get that idea? None of us is making fun of you. We are just worried about you, that's all. We're following you because we care." Damn. I had actually put four sentences together. I think it was a record for me.

Steph looked me straight in the eye for a moment, then sighed deeply. She put her hand in mine. " I know. I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from." I saw sorrow in her eyes now. " I'm actually glad that someone still cares about what happens to me." I cared. Of course I cared. We all cared. Shit,for most of us, she was the only woman that we did care about. I hugged her.

" Steph, I don't know how the fuck this situation is going to get solved, but we are all here for you." She seemed relieved and hugged me. " I know. Having all of you guys looking after me has made me feel less alone."

Damn. Steph had gone from pissed to sad in about thirty seconds. I followed her up to her apartment and made her wait outside the door while I went in to check the place. Just like in the old days. She went in and fed her hamster and flopped down on the couch. I had never seen her so emotional. I saw tears brimming in her eyes. Shit. She'd better not cry. I can't stand it when a woman cries. It makes me feel guilty. I grabbed the only thing I could think of that might keep her tears from spilling out. Steph was blinking hard, trying to keep herself from crying. I grabbed my lifeline and turned it on. "DADADADADANANA…" I saw Steph perk up instantly as Ghostbusters played. Shit, thank God. Disaster averted. But now I had to sit through this shitty movie for the zillionth time. I sat on the couch and went into my zone.

Ranger's POV

I rushed out of the meeting while Bobby was still talking. I was rude, but tough shit. He'd get over it. I was more worried about Steph. I just wanted to get to her. I ruthlessly shoved down my emotions and thought logically. Ok, so she has breast cancer. She doesn't have insurance, so she probably had crappy doctors. She definitely needed a second opinion. Within five minutes, I was racing the Porsche down the highway, speaking with Dr. Wayne Gresner. Wayne had been a consulting physician for the White House. He was one of the best doctors specializing in "women's cancers." And I had rescued his son from some very nasty people, so he owed me one. Ten minutes later, I had secured Steph an appointment with him in two days when he was back in New York.

I called Vince at Rangeman and told him to access her medical records. Yes, I know , that is illegal and an invasion of privacy, but too damn bad. I needed to know what the hell we were dealing with if we were going to get her help. A lot of what I do is outside the law, but inside my moral code. I also told Vince to do as much research as he can find about breast cancer.

I didn't know much about breast cancer, only about breasts. But the word cancer itself was terrifying. It usually meant "fatal." I wasn't really scared for me, I was scared for her. As I pulled onto her street and parked in her lot, I amended that. I was scared for me, too. I didn't want to lose her. Not permanently. I also felt guilty. Guilty that I hadn't been here to help her through this. No telling if Morelli had been, but he wasn't usually the calm steady supportive type.

I pulled into her lot and noted the Rangeman SUV parked backed in by the dumpster. Good. One of the guys was there, in case she needed them. I got out of the car and stood in the parking lot for a few moments, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I am usually very calm, cool, and collected, even under fire. But the thought of Steph having a possibly fatal disease made me frantic.

After a moment, I took a deep breath and went into the building and up the elevator. I could hear the Ghostbusters movie from the second I stepped off the elevator. No Rangeman outside the door, meaning one was inside. I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of one of my guys having to endure that movie yet again. He should probably get hazardous duty pay for that. I steeled myself and knocked on the door. I could easily have broken in, but I might have gotten shot by my own man.

Ram opened the door, putting away his gun with one hand.. Good to see him being so vigilant. I walked in and saw Steph sprawled on the couch. She was wearing a nightshirt and fuzzy slippers and her hair was all messed up. She looked shocked to see me. Her eyes widened instantly. I knew the feeling. It was good to see her too.

Steph's POV

I didn't want Ram to answer the door at all. I wanted to be alone. But Ram had gotten a call from Bobby about 10 minutes ago and had been jumpy ever since. It was funny to see him jumpy. Rangemen are never jumpy. He reacted instantly to open the door, as if he knew who it was…

No sooner had the door opened than I saw Ranger's dark hair through the crack. Then, his whole body came into the room. Ram had a weird look on his face. almost… relief?

I couldn't stop staring at Ranger. I had thought about him almost constantly for the last month. He looked tired, but sexy as hell. I was afraid to look him in the eye, though, as he had on his blankface and I couldn't gauge his mood. And, sexy as he was, there was a lot unresolved between us. He looked at me as if he was afraid I would disappear if he looked away.

Ranger broke his gaze from me and gave Ram a quick look. Ram must also have ESP lbecause he just left the room, leaving us alone. Ranger walked over and grabbed the remote, cutting off Ghostbusters mid-song. I must have shivered in delight in seeing him, because he got the quilt from my bed and put it over me, then sat tiredly in the chair across from the couch where I was lying. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between us during which we just stared at each other. He drew a deep breath and said, " Babe, we need to talk."


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry it has been so long. This is kind of a transition chapter. please leave reviews as I live for reviews._

The Rift- Chapter 8

Stephanie's POV

Ranger and I just sat there for several minutes, well, I sat and he stood, staring at each other in absolute silence. Ranger may have been comfortable with that, but I wasn't. Silence always makes me nervous. Especially silence like this, when I am anticipating what I want him to say but dreading what he might say. It was a tension filled silence. I started to panic. He was staring at me so intently, like a predator stalking its prey.

He got up and leaned against the counter, then started pacing. He was so sexy that it made my eyes hurt. I haven't seen him for so long. He wore a black t-shirt that looked painted on over his huge biceps, jeans and his butter soft black leather jacket. His gun was in a shoulder holster, the butt of it barely peeked out from under his jacket and enhanced his aura of dangerous power and sexuality. He is so well known to me, but after months apart, he is in some ways a complete stranger.

Part of me (most of me, actually) felt overwhelming relief that I was seeing him again, as I had been afraid I wouldn't. Part of me was scared that what he had to say this time might be worse than last time. A bit of me was still unsure that our differences had or could be resolved.

The silence between us stretched out. Was this his idea of us "talking?" He would pace and stop to look at me, and then begin pacing again. What could he have to say that was so terrible that he couldn't just say it? Ranger was always Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected, so this newfound nervousness of his was scary. Ranger was always good at hiding his feelings, now it seemed as though he couldn't contain them.

After about fifteen minutes of this awkward silence, just before I was about to burst from the tension, he stopped pacing and met my eyes. "Babe," he said in his deep voice. I stood there, gaping in disbelief as he started pacing again. What the hell? That was it? Fifteen minutes of pacing and all I got was "Babe"? He had made another trip back and forth across my living room when I finally had had enough of the nervous anticipation. I grabbed his arm and pulled him down next to me on the couch.

Ranger's POV

Ok, great. I am at Steph's.. What the fuck do I do or say now? All the thoughts I gathered in my head on the drive over here have disappeared and my mind has gone blank. I am filled with nervous energy. That is so unlike me. I can usually be so calm, spend hours without talking and inhumanly still. Now I can't seem to stop moving. Steph looks great. Better than I thought she would with being so ill and all. I missed her blue eyes and her unruly hair. Even though she is wearing sweats and looks kinda like a bag lady right now, I think she is so beautiful.

Shit. I have been pacing now for almost ten minutes. Every time I stop pacing and look at her to say something, the thought flies out of my head. Its like I am rendered stupid. I can't stop this restless pacing back and forth and I feel like a moron. Steph is looking at me like I am a fucking idiot.

I really don't want to fuck this up like I did last time I talked to her. I want to tell her that I missed her. That I want to take care of her and that I will help her fight this cancer. But I can't think of anything intelligent to say. part of me whats to stay her eand hold her and protect herand promise I will be with her. part of me wants to leave again, because really, we still have the same problems.

I am really uncomfortable with this expressing my feelings shit. I am much better at hiding my feelings and providing subtle clues to my feelings, like lending a certain someone endless cars and spending tens of thousands on her safety. Dammit. She should know how I feel by now.

Fuck. In all my military and business training, there was never a class in " how to express your feelings without fucking everything up." I guess I am on my own here. She is looking at me expectantly and so I have to stop and say something. I stop and look at her……"babe." I start pacing again. Fuck! All the thoughts that are in my head and that is the only word I can get to come out of my mouth? I am a fucking idiot! I am forced to stop as Steph reaches up from the couch and pulls me down next to her.

"Babe,", I say. She does her expert Burg eye roll. "You already said that, Ranger. Now lets move on." She looked at me expectantly. Shit. Why do I have to do the "feelings" stuff first? "You look good , babe," I say, stroking her face. "what's up?" She seems hesitant to answer me, not sure of her reception. " Nothing. Just a lot of being followed and tracked by your guys." I grinned, glad for once that my men are stubborn.

" I caught a bunch of skips. The guys helped." That was good. I put my arm around her on the couch and she flinches as I brush her breast. That reminds me of the real reason I came here. She was sick. Really sick. I wasn't sure how to deal with it, this was exactly why I didn't like feelings. But she needed me and I wasn't going to fuck things up this time.

Steph's POV

He put his arm around me and accidentally brushed hard against my still painful breast. I can't help but flinch. My fibrocystic breast disease didn't seem to be getting any less painful. I read that sometimes it can take months to stop being tender. Ranger looks at me with a puzzled expression on his face, like he is trying to solve the world huger problem or something.

"Babe, we need to talk." Oh, hell, we aren't going through this again are we? But instead of claming up like before, he continued talking. He pulled me towards him and stroked my shoulders absently with his finger. It feels so good to be in his arms. Without looking at me , he says, " I met with the guys before I came here. They told me about your, um, illness." His fingers stopped and then the palm of his hand moved gently over me. As gentle as he was, it hurt –a lot, but I tried not to flinch. How the hell would the guys know about my FBD? Knowing Ranger, he probably hacked my medical records or something. That thought started to piss me off. There he was invading my privacy again. " I made an appointment for you tomorrow with one of the most preeminent doctors in the field. " Great. If he was good then my HMO probably didn't cover him. Ranger must have done his damn ESP thing again, because he squeezed my shoulder and said, " Don't worry about the cost. Cost is no object. I just want you well."

That was sweet but kinda weird. Not like there was really a cure for FBD or anything. It kinda went away or it didn't. I didn't want to be indebted to Ranger anyway. I hadn't forgotten the reasons for our rift. I was always taking from Ranger and running to Joe. I wanted to tell Ranger that I hadn't even seen Joe in months.

Ranger's POV

Ok, now I was talking. A lot. Well, a lot for me. I wanted to tell her that I knew about her illness and that I would help her with it. That she wasn't alone. My hands were stroking her breast. They seemed fine to me. I wasn't sure if I should look at her or them. Shit. Steph hadn't said anything since I mentioned the doctor. Maybe she was afraid. Hell, I was afraid. Afraid for her and for me. I fucking hate being afraid.

Shit. This is not working. We will still have the same problem. She will takes from me and the does not want to be with me. But I really didn't care anymore. I just wanted to take care of her. I had money and connections, I would get her the best doctors, the best treatments, the best care.

I stroked her shoulders for awhile, then leaned forward on the couch and turned to look into her eyes. "Steph, I am sorry I left you. If I had known how ill you are I would never have left you alone. I promise I won't leave you to fight this by yourself. I will make sure you have the best doctors and the best treatments. We can beat this."

Steph looked at me like I had grown another head. Why the hell did she seem so surprised? What kind of ass did she think I was to leave someone I loved to battle breast cancer on her own? Steph had a weird look on her face and asked, "Ranger, what the hell are you talking about?"


	9. Chapter 9

The Rift- Part 9

Please leave reviews. I live for reviews.

Stephanie looked at me like I had suddenly grown another head. "Ranger, what the hell are you talking about?"

Part 9

Ranger's POV

I looked at Steph's incredulous expression and felt something I didn't like feeling- confusion. Was she in denial? Shit, denial was Steph's middle name. But she couldn't be in denial about this. It was too serious. I was about to open my mouth when another thought occurred to me. Maybe she didn't want me to know about her illness. I mean, Steph always tried to keep some things secret, although she knew that was impossible around me. Maybe she was afraid I wouldn't want her if I knew about her illness. Or that I would get really overprotective. Not that me being overprotective would be anything new .

She was still waiting for me to say something, and it was one of those rare occasions that I didn't know what the hell to say. Have I mentioned that I hate this "talking about feelings" shit? I grabbed her hands and sat down with her on the couch. Her hands were cold. " Steph, I know about your illness. You don't have to try to hide it. The guys found out."

Steph's POV

Ok, that pissed me off. How the hell would the guys know about my FBD? Not like the guys spent their time thinking about women's breasts. Well, not that way, anyway. The only way they could have found out is if they hacked into some computer and got my medical records. I didn't know whether to be angry or not. After all, the guys had stood by me and been there even when Ranger wasn't. On the other hand, if they hacked into my medical records...

Ranger was just sitting in that damn silence of his, waiting for me to say something. I couldn't think. I had missed him so much and seeing him just sitting here on the couch next to me made certain parts of my anatomy hot and achy. I wanted to run my hands over those incredible biceps and feel the warmth of his muscular body.

"The guys know? How the hell do the guys know?," I asked. Just great. Now all the guys at Rangeman are thinking about my breasts. Maybe there'll be bets on that , too. And lots of staring at my breasts. "Did you tell them to get my medical records? Because that is illegal." Not that Ranger cared about legal. He had his own moral code. If he felt it was morally right, then he did it, who cared about the law? He could see I was about to go off, so he got a calming expression on his face.

Ranger's POV

"No, babe. I didn't tell them to get into your medical records," I said in my best soothing voice. Well, he hadn't asked them back then, anyway. That came later. "They have been following you around all while I've been gone, even though I didn't give them orders to. They followed you a couple of times to a medical building with doctors that specialize in mammograms." Damn. I was uncomfortable even saying the word mammogram. Kind of like the word tampon, it was something we tough commando type guys didn't feel comfortable even thinking about. I bet the guys had felt as weird about it as I did, yet they followed her there twice and then did some research. "The guys care about you, and they know that I do, so they were concerned. When you went there a second time they were alarmed. So, they asked around and found out that even though you are a bit young to get it, you have a family history. And they thought I should know so that I can help you through it." She sat there just thinking about what I had said. Even though she looked like a homeless person in that outfit, I could hardly keep my hands off of her. She looked so good considering she was so sick.

I couldn't believe how much I had missed her, how many times I had to force myself to stop thinking about her so I could get my work done. It made me a little scared and a little angry. No other woman had ever penetrated my shields enough to make me miss her. I didn't know if we could solve our issues, but I knew I didn't want Steph out of my life. "So, I have made an appointment with the best doctor in the field. He owes me a favor for getting him out of a lethal situation a few years ago , so he is fitting you in tomorrow. He can tell us how bad it is and what the treatment options are. " I didn't want to have to come right out and say that I wanted to stick with her through it. I hoped that by my use of the word "Us" she would figure that out.

Steph's POV

Part of me was still mad at Ranger for leaving, but most of me was touched and hot and tingly by the way he was trying not to say what he wanted to say. He was actually letting his emotions show and I could tell he was a little uncomfortable and felt awkward, but he was opening up to me. I decided to return the favor. "Ranger, I have already been to the doctor, and there really aren't any actual treatments. Just ibuprophen when the pain gets bad and going without a bra as often as I can." Ranger's wicked smile came out when I mentioned going without a bra, and his eyes flew to my breasts, then quickly back to my face. The perv would like the 'going without a bra" part.

"The doctor says that cutting down on caffeine can help shrink it, and that it will fluctuate with my hormones and get worse before my period." Ranger tried to hide his flinch at the words "hormones" and 'period." Typical alpha male. No, change that. NOTHING about Ranger is typical. That's the attraction. "It may eventually go away on its own. Or go and come back. But there really isn't anything I can do about it. A large percentage of women have FBD."

Ranger's POV

I couldn't believe she was telling me there was no treatment. Shit. It was that bad that they couldn't do anything? Well, my guy would know what to do. There were always experimental treatments if none of the traditional ones worked. And she would probably have surgery. Just ibuprophen? She really was in denial. My mind went back to what she was saying. "_A large percentage of women have FBD."_ FBD? FBD?What the fuck is that? Some large medical name for breast cancer? I knew there were lots of different kinds. I was glad she knew so much about it, but I needed to know.

"FBD?" I asked, trying not to sound like an utter moron. "What the fuck is FBD?"

Again I got one of those weird "Ranger has suddenly grown a second head" looks. "What do you mean what is FBD?", she asked. "FBD-Fibrosytic breast disease-You said that you already knew. That the guys told you."

I was having that confused feeling again and really fucking hating it. " I don't know anything about any FBD."

"The guys said that you had breast can-." I ran through that conversation in my mind. The said she had been to get a mammogram, then another. That breast cancer ran in her family. That all the women in her family got it young. They said she had ca-. Wait a minute. No they didn't. My mind flashed back to the odd looks that kept going back and forth between Bobby, Woody, and Lester. I hadn't thought anything about it at the time, I'd been so focused on my worry for Steph. My mind played through the conversation again. It was all starting to make sense now. Bobby had never actually said she had cancer. He just gave me some information that made me think….ok, that fucker Brown was a dead man. And Lester had better like fucking Siberia, cause that's where he was going. They hadlet me think…. Well, ok,. Fuckers. They were going to get the worst duty I could think of for giving me bad intel . Steph was just looking at me with her impatient "Ranger is so quiet it drives me nuts " look.

I had to say something so that I wouldn't sound like the complete stupid moron that I apparently am. I would make the guys look like the idiots. They deserved it for misleading me. " The guys told me they think you have breast cancer."

Steph's POV

"Breast cancer?" Ranger came back because he thought I had breast cancer. I wasn't sure if I should be happy that he cared so much about me or mad that the only reason he came back is that he thought I might be seriously ill. Well, I guess I should be glad that he cared. And apparently the guys cared. Enough to risk his anger.

I knew Ranger and I still had our issues. Maybe we could work them out and maybe we couldn't. That was still to be seen. All I knew was that Ranger had thrown out the proverbial olive branch when he had come home to care for me. I guess it was a sign that he cared about me. And the guys cared about me.

Ranger was still waiting for me to say something, obviously not used to silence from me.

"No, Ranger. I don't have breast cancer, thank God. But I was worried. I found a huge lump in my breast and I was afraid it was breast cancer. I did go to get two mammograms. That's probably what panicked the guys. But it turns out I have an often painful but harmless condition called fibrocystic breast disease-FBD.

It hurts- a lot right now, actually. But it is not cancer and it won't turn into cancer. I may always have it, or it may go away on its own. I just have to get regular mammograms." I could see the change in his face from the anger of being mislead to the relief that I didn't have a terrible disease.

Ranger's POV

Steph was still talking, but I really hadn't heard much beyond "I don't have breast cancer." I was so overwhelmed with relief that the guys had been wrong. Or maybe they weren't wrong. Maybe they knew it was FBD, too. But that didn't matter. I was here with Steph and my belief that she was terminally ill had made me scared. I'd been scared of losing her. I knew I didn't want to lose her in my life. Not to an illness. Not to our stubbornness.

" So your lump wasn't breast cancer?, " I asked, trying not to sound like an idiot. She said, " No, its huge, but it is a cyst and benign. Just painful and tender. I was staring at her breasts now. I wasn't sure if I should believe her, if she really just had FBD or if she was just in heavy denial. She took my hand and put it under the robe against her right breast. Damn. She was so warm and soft and just touching her made me tremble. Me- Ranger the lethal badass, was trembling just form touching a woman's breast. Not any woman, just Steph.

I wasn't sure what the hell she was doing, so I kept my hand totally limp and let her put it where she wanted it. She put my fingers on the top part of her right breast and even barely touching her I I could feel the large, hard mass. She flinched even at such a light contact that I knew it must be really painful.

Damn. I had been so fucking hard from the moment I walked into the room. I had missed her so much. And now, just touching her breast, I felt like I was about to cum in my pants. I wanted her so badly. I removed my hand from her breast, across her chest where I could feel her racing heart and my knuckles brushed the side of her left breast. I wanted her so badly.

She looked dazed and breathless and I could tell that she was having the same problem that I was.

I watched the look on her in the face as I stroked her left breast with my thumb. "Do you still want to talk?", I asked.


	10. Chapter 10

The Rift- Chapter 10

Sorry. I just realized that it has been months since I posted on this story. . I hope everyone is still interested in the story. I wanted to wrap it up. Please leave reviews, as I live for them.

Stephanie's POV

To be honest, talking was the last thing I wanted to do. With Ranger's thumb stroking my breast, I couldn't think, let alone talk. But we needed to talk. I had been positive that I'd never see him again, that he'd continue in Miami, and I would continue here. I was resigned to it. I had even arranged my life to be content with that. Never happy, not without Ranger, but content. Existing, not living. But now he was back, and he had thrown out the proverbial olive branch. I owed it to him, hell, to myself, to at least talk about the issues. I wasn't sure we'd ever work them out, after all, I am who I am, and Ranger is who he is. But I certainly didn't want to have regrets, or think of 'what might have been."

I couldn't think about our issues, now however, because the insistence of Ranger's thumb on my left nipple was making me wet and making my breath come in little gasps. I was starved for an orgasm that wasn't self-induced and so I put all the reasons why we shouldn't from my head and let Ranger seduce me. I threw my head back and he nuzzled and kissed my neck, an invitation for him to continue. Issuing that invitation to Ranger was like waving a red cloak in front of a bull. He poured all his months of loneliness and pent up sexual frustration into his touch, his lips and fingers setting me on fire.

I woke with my head on Ranger's naked chest. Most of my body was sore now. Our lovemaking hadn't been gentle, it had been passionate. After weeks of longing and pent up desire, neither of us had wanted gentle. Even in the midst to his ravenous passion, Ranger had been so gentle and tender when it came to my right breast. He barely even touched it, and only gently kissed it. It was so sweet. He did have a lot of fun with the other one, though.

I wanted to spend more time reveling in the delicious aftermath of incredible sex, but I knew that we had issues to talk about. And we needed to talk about them, before either of us lost our nerve. Ranger must have realized the same thing, because he kissed me one last time, then got up and put on his shirt. I got us each a bottle of water, then we sat in the living room, on opposite sides of the couch.

Ranger's POV

I had put on my clothes, and part of me wanted to put on my " tough emotionless badass" mask with them. I was feeling uncomfortable again. How the hell can I feel so damn confident and comfortable in the bedroom, and so damn flustered out of it? I hated this feeling s shit. Ok, I knew it was time for me to fucking man up, so I just dove in.

" Steph, babe, " I …I..really missed you," I said, afraid to look in her eyes. No, it was so much easier to talk about feelings and stuff if you weren't looking at the other person. " When the guys called me and told me there was a situation with you, I was scared as hell and spent hours imaging the worst. When I thought you had breast cancer, I was terrified. Not just for you, but for me. I was terrified of losing you."

Steph was just sitting cross legged on the couch, she looked at me and opened her mouth to reply, but I raised my fingers to stop her. " No wait, let me say this before I lose my nerve or fuck it up." Shit. I had never felt so fucking uncomfortable in my life.

Steph's POV

I stopped trying to talk and just waited for Ranger to finish. He wouldn't meet my eyes, but occasionally I got a look into his. His looked so uncertain and vulnerable. I had never seen hi m like this, so transparent, willing to express his feelings.

He sighed. " I know I told you that my life doesn't lend itself to relationships, and that is true. But there are lots of guys with dangerous jobs who have families, so I guess it can be done. I have been fighting my feelings for you, but being so damn scared that I would lose you made me stop fighting. All those cars I gave you, my men, my apartment, all the times I was overprotective, that is my way of taking care of you. And then you ran back to Morelli…" He had a pained look on his face, as if it was physically hurting him to actually express his feelings.

I couldn't believe he was suddenly baring so much of himself to me. FBD was a pain, but if him thinking my FBD was cancer made him open up to me, then it was worth it.

" Ranger, I only went back to Joe because you kept reminding me that you didn't want a relationship. I knew you wanted sex with me, but I don't do just sex. I knew that was all I'd get with you. I wasn't really sure what I wanted , and Joe and my mom were pressuring me to be with him. But I haven't seen Joe since before our fight. I want to be with you. "

Ranger's POV

I moved over close to Steph and put my arm around her, gently stroking her neck with my fingers. I seemed to suddenly have this huge desire to express my feelings. It seemed like, now that I lowered the the dam holding back my feelings, they came flowing over it like a waterfall. I was helpless to control teh flow."

"Babe, I want you to come back to Rangeman, work full time for me. The guys can help you with your skips. "

I saw that she was about to protest, and I stopped her with a finger to her lips. " Steph, you can't make a living catching the occasional skip for Vinnie. And the guys are non-negotiable. You have a lot of courage and luck, but you don't have the skill, and I don't want you getting hurt.

I saw the indignant look in her eyes. " Look , Steph, I have a lot of enemies. People who would love to hurt me by hurting someone I love. " He grabbed my hands. " I can't risk losing you."

"The guys are like babysitters, making sure I don't get hurt." I don't need babysitters."

" Babe, all the guys have partners. I don't let any of them go into the field alone. They always have backup. "

" You don't trust that I can take care of myself," she accused.

Well, she had me there. She couldn't really take care of herself. She didn't even carry her damn gun.

I looked for a tactful way out. "Look, babe. . I know that all the guys can take care of themselves, and they still have partners."

Now that I was being honest, I should be brutally honest. " And you don't ever carry your gun, you won't go to self defense training, you don't wait for backup, of course I wonder if you can take care of yourself. I can't risk losing you if you get in over your head. I can't risk losing someone I love."

Steph's POV

At first I was indignant, but then I realized that Ranger was right. How could he trust that I can handle myself in dangerous situations if I never carried a gun, never worked out, etc. Wait, did he just say he loved me…

Well, ok, it hadn't been those three exact words, but it had been as close to "I love you" as Ranger is probably ever going to get. I looked over at him. He looked back at me, for once not giving me damn blackface. His face was filled with emotion, a mixture of hope and wariness. I could see the anxiety on his face, as he waited, unsure of what my reaction would be. How I could ever have thought him emotionless was beyond me. He had them, he just covered them well.

Joe was out of the picture, and it sounded like Ranger was going to attempt to be reasonable, and he did bring up some good points.

" Ok, I'll come back to work at Rangeman, but only part time for now. Lula works with me on my Vinnie skips. "

I knew he'd never give in about having the guys with me, But I knew it was to protect what he had finally allowed himself to love, so I guess I could handle it.

Ranger's eyes darkened and seemed to spark with fire. He touched my right breast. " Does it hurt?, he asked. I nodded.

His face broke into a sexy smirk. " How about if I kiss it and make it better," he said, pushing me down on the couch starting to kiss all the way down my body.

_Finally , finished. Hope you all enjoyed it.-chloe_


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